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February’s Latitude 38 Is Out Today!
February’s Latitude 38 is out today; copies are making their way around the Bay and up and down the coast to your favorite and nearby distributors. Or, if you happen to be a subscriber, “It’s in the mail!” Here’s a peek at what you will find inside.
Revival of Open 5.70 “Soggy Bottom Club”
On a Monday night, I started emailing yacht clubs and sailing schools all around San Francisco Bay. I had just moved here, and I could not go another weekend without sailing. Sequoia Yacht Club members replied back in less than 10 minutes. When the commodore asked what I preferred, I simply replied, “Speed and dinghies.” He said to try the Open 5.70s. Just two days later, I got to race on Hummingbird (Open 5.70, sail #296). Grinning ear to ear, I exclaimed, “That was awesome,” and from that moment, I was hooked. I crewed for Andrew Lesslie on Hummingbird for the rest of the summer. Before the sailing season was over, I was fixing up my own Open 5.70, Altair (#306).
Atlantic Rally for Cruisers — Rescue at Sea
It was 3:17 a.m. when urgent pounding on my cabin door awoke me. “Mayday! Mayday! We have two. A man overboard and a boat’s taking on water!” My bucket-list adventure of sailing across the Atlantic had started eight days earlier, on November 24, 2024. I and the ill-fated were among the hundreds of enthusiasts on the 140 boats that started the 38th running of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), which is organized by the U.K.-based World Cruising Club. It starts from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, which is about 120 miles off the coast of Africa, and ends some 2,700 miles later in St. Lucia in the Caribbean.
Novice Dreamer to Resilient Sailor
As dawn broke over San Diego Bay in shades of gold and silver, it became a dazzling backdrop for the chaotic symphony of preparations among the Baja Ha-Ha fleet. Our crew stirred sluggishly from their bunks, the air electric with anticipation despite groggy eyes and slow movements. The energy was contagious, yet I took the morning at a deliberate, measured pace — adjusting lines, stowing loose gear, and double-checking systems — much to the visible impatience of nearby crews casting off with practiced precision. By the time we finally shoved off from the police dock, we were the last vessel to join the procession. But fate had other plans.
Here’s a peek at this month’s regular columns:
Letters: The surge in Santa Cruz Harbor last month had readers fired up — “Fine People, Rough Conditions;” “Pros and Cons; A Fix Unlikely” … and then, “Meanwhile, in the East Bay;” ” West Coast Sailors and Boats Who Have Done the Sydney Hobart” … and “Solid Catamaran Becomes Famous for Hole;” plus many more readers’ letters and comments.
Sightings: Ragtime — Looking Back to the Future; Vendée Globe; New Maritime Trade School on Mare Island; Dispatches from Sailing to Japan; and other stories.
Max Ebb: “The Value of Fun”
Racing Sheet: It’s molto Midwinters month, with reports and/or images from Corinthian YC and Berkeley YC, Oakland YC’s Sunday Brunch Series, Encinal YC’s Jack Frost, Golden Gate YC’s Seaweed Soup Series, RegattaPRO’s Winter One Design and Del Rey YC’s Berger-Stein Series. Plus we share news from Vanguard 15 Fleet 53, UC Sailing Teams, the 5O5 Worlds, US Sailing, and the Yacht Racing Association.
Changes in Latitudes: With reports this month on Tahu Le’a’s cruising memories; Outrun’s solar power upgrade; Emerald Sea’s post-Ha-Ha adventures; and a tasty assortment of Cruise Notes.
All the latest in sailboats and sailboat gear for sale, Classy Classifieds.
We appreciate all readers and all our supporters — you keep Latitude 38 in print! Please show your appreciation by supporting the advertisers, who have made this issue possible.
Presidio Yacht Club Celebrates Change of Watch
Sometimes we’re a little behind with our news. Our excuse? Perhaps the plentitude of emails, texts, social media and other forms of communication that breeze through our offices? Or maybe it was the flurry of the holidays and a few unusual events that occurred along the West Coast. Whatever the reason, thankfully things are not always lost. In this instance, we have recovered an update from the Presidio Yacht Club about their recent change of command.
“With the winds and rain warnings for the Bay Area to hunker down and PG&E notices for power outages, we were able to serve 50 members and guests to the lunch (in spite of the lack of electricity) and membership meeting to thank outgoing Commodore Scott Pasternak and formally promote Vice Commodore Dr. Stephen Golden to Commodore and incoming 2025 Vice Commodore Dr. Travis Bellicchi, a dentist at Travis Air Force Base, to the command. In addition, Robert DaPrato, USMCR, was appointed Rear Commodore.” This news arrived via Robert DaPrato who proudly accepted his appointment in December.
“Unfortunately, I did not have a military uniform on, but look at the Latitude 38 T-shirt and hat!” Robert adds. We see you, Robert, we see you!
“The meeting and luncheon occurred at Fort Baker in Horseshoe Cove, next to the Golden Gate Bridge, which is shared and supported by the United States Air Force within the Golden Gate Parks and Recreational District.”
Robert continues, “As a longtime Latitude 38 reader and supporter, I have enjoyed meeting and sailing with veterans, family members and active military personnel on one of the three yacht club sailing vessels available for use at our harbor. Additionally, many of the members have Islanders, Santanas, Catalinas and other yachts for sailing enthusiasts or wannabe sailors.”
Travis Marina is one of those “hidden (in plain sight) gems.” It has a great bar and restaurant upstairs with large windows that offer views to the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay. And guest boaters and the public are welcome! Did we mention they make great burgers?
The Travis Sailing Club has opportunities for people to experience an introduction to sailing — “We did provide rides to 350 people on the 4th of July as well as working with veterans’ organizations; we were able to support 500 people in 2024. We have 92 members and added another 37 new members last year.”
For more information about the yacht club, and its mission and objectives to support the sailing community and mental well-being through sailing, see the website at: https://www.presidioyachtclub.org
Some readers may recall our 2020 story about saving the Marina. Read here.
The Hylas H57 Now Available in San Diego
We are delighted to introduce our newest blue-water sailing vessel. From world class designer Bill Dixon the Hylas H57 is a perfect blend of classic Hylas, contemporary good looks and an embracing of the latest technology in construction and design.
Alert: Scammers Are Actively Targeting Boaters
BoatUS is alerting boaters to be aware of a current scam that offers US Coast Guard documentation renewal. These offers, arriving by US Mail, are “official-looking.” Aside from the distaste of having been duped, responding to the invitation “can lead to confusion and higher costs,” BoatUS says. We’ve shared the notification below.
Boat Owner’s Association of The United States (BoatUS) is advising boaters with vessels that have a US Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation to be wary of any letter arriving by US mail offering renewal.
BoatUS advises that while the Coast Guard does send official annual renewal notices by US mail, other notices being received by BoatUS members are not from the Coast Guard but rather third-party companies whose name or return address may appear similar to that of the official US Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC).
BoatUS members have complained that these letters direct them to websites that may be mistaken for the actual Coast Guard NVDC located in Falling Waters, West Virginia, and appear to show a significant increase in the annual fee to renew Coast Guard documentation.
A 2017 Coast Guard-issued bulletin says in part:
“The NVDC is aware that there are commercial entities that offer to manage the certification/renewal process on behalf of vessel owners for a fee. The Coast Guard does not endorse any of these companies, and the companies do not operate on behalf of the Coast Guard in any way. Any fees charged or agreements offered by such companies are in no way associated with the NVDC certification process. In addition, these companies are not authorized to issue any form of documentation, including travel letters and/or permits that authorize operation of ANY vessel. Customer complaints can be made through the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) website at https://www.ftc.gov/.”
While third-party companies may legitimately provide services to assist with vessel documentation renewals, the Coast Guard’s own renewal process is simple for most vessels, and the price ranges from $26 for one year up to $130 for a five-year expiration, which is often much lower than what third-party services may charge.
To renew, go to the Coast Guard National Documentation Center website at https://www.uscg.mil/nvdc and click on “instructions and forms,” then “Certificate of Documentation Application for Renewal.”
To be documented, a vessel must measure at least 5 net tons, and with the exception of certain oil-spill response vessels, owned by a US citizen. Boats about 27 feet in length or longer generally meet the weight requirement.
Why do boat owners choose to federally document vessels with the US Coast Guard versus the more common practice of state registration? The boat was purchased with a bank loan and the lender required it, or the boat has plans to travel beyond US waters. A Certificate of Documentation is internationally recognized and makes it easier for American vessels to enter and leave foreign ports.
BoatUS also advises boaters who may have received mail that they believe is misleading or deceptive to contact the US Postal Inspection Service at (877) 876-2455 or through its website https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov.
A Baja Ha-Ha XXXl — Wouldn’t That Be Fun?
The Poobah and Assistant Poobah Patsy Verhoeven had a phone call this morning and compared notes. The conclusion is that since we’re both still healthy, why shouldn’t we do a Ha-Ha XXXI?
We still have to confirm some arrangements with the Mexican government, but if it were only up to us, Ha-Ha XXXI would be a go. And we believe it will be a go.
The one change we’re considering is spending an additional day in the Bahia Santa Maria/Mag Bay area, and one less day in crowded Cabo San Lucas. But we’ll see.
The start would be Monday, November 3, from San Diego.
Assuming all goes well, Ha-Ha XXXI sign-ups will start at noon on May 9.
New to sailing and never heard of the Ha-Ha? It’s a 750-mile cruisers’ rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas with R&R stops at Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria. About 120 boats do it each year.
There are eight major social events, including the costume kick-off party in San Diego, the cruisers and locals bazeball game in Turtle Bay, the Beach Party at Turtle Bay, the surreal live-music rock ’n’ roll party at Bahia Santa Maria, the Cheated Death dance party at Squid Roe, and the Here to Eternity Kissing Contest at Medano Beach.
Not sure if you should do a Ha-Ha? Ask someone who has done one. Or two. Or three. Or 15.
The Poobah, Patsy, and Chief of Security Doña de Mallorca hope that you’ll join us sailing south.
Rowing Through Paradise in USVI Squalls
Starting out in the PNW, James Lane and Dena Hankins have been slowly touring the world with the tagline “Around the World in 80 Years … Maybe” for a couple of decades. They headed south from Orcas Island, WA, over 20 years ago and spent several years living and cruising in Northern California. They’ve written a few stories like “Enjoying Life on the Hook“, and below relay an anecdote from liveaboard life in the USVI aboard their electric-powered 1984 Baba 30, Cetacea.
Living aboard a tiny electric sailboat can be challenging at times. For example, last week my partner Dena had to row the 3/4 of a mile into the town of Red Hook, on the island of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, by herself twice because the wind was too strong for both of us to go in together. I (James) got to stay on the boat and watch her row our little 8-ft rowboat in choppy seas and heavy wind from the deck of our 1984 Baba 30, Cetacea, until she disappeared behind the point …. It was nerve-wracking to say the least, but I had the easy job. Dena is an incredibly powerful rower. She’s been doing it for years, but it gets really rough out in Red Hook Bay when it kicks up, and boy, has it been kicked-up lately.
Well, a couple of days ago the company she works for provided her with a mooring in Vessup Bay, pretty much directly across from the building she works in, cutting our row in from just under a mile to about 60 yards. Now, that’s great when the wind’s blowing snot at 40 knots and the seas are all kicked up, but we row because we love to row and it keeps us fit, not because we have to. I mean, you wouldn’t believe how many people around here have offered to give us a tow as we were rowing either in or back out to the boat.
I mean, we have gone to great lengths to get all of the infernal combustion machines out of our lives, and these folks think they’re doing us some kind of favor by offering to tow us with their evil little inflatable power boats … ew!
Anyway, this morning, after bailing out last night’s rainwater from the little boat, Dena got in, and as we were rowing in it started to rain … then it started raining harder, and right about that time we both remembered we’d left the companionway open … yeah, that’s the main entrance to the boat that is directly over the electric-motor propulsion bay!!! Ack!!!
I dropped Dena off at the public dinghy dock and started my row back when it started to come down in buckets! I’m serious, it was raining so hard that I couldn’t see more than 10 feet around me. Right about that time the wind kicked up to about 35 knots, and I was rowing directly into it, going nowhere really fast. I somehow made it back to Cetacea, closed the companionway, secured the dinghy (yes, in that order), and then made my way belowdecks to survey the damage. Yes, that’s right about the time the rain died and it became a beautiful sunny day in the US Virgin Islands.
Let me just say that SV/SN-E Cetacea is an incredible vessel! She is built to slough off the elements almost to perfection. It was a little damp over the propulsion bay, but because of the intensity of the wind, the boat righted herself into it and sloughed off the weather like she was built to do. Me, not so much! I was drenched to the skin and more than a little freaked out by the time I got a nice dry towel in my hands. I wiped down the wet things, found the freaked-out cat, Beluga Greyfinger, and the two of us cuddled and calmed each other as I finished drying my now very clean body. The end ….
You can follow James and Dena’s voyage here.